Realtors endorse Murray as Rossi teases run

On the same day that real estate salesman Dino Rossi teases the NRSC with word that he’s seriously considering a run for the U.S. Senate, the 18,000-strong Washington Association of Realtors announce their enthusiastic endorsement of Democratic incumbent Sen. Patty Murray:

“Realtors are proud to endorse Sen. Murray as she has been a tireless advocate for housing affordability and the American dream of home ownership,” said Bill Riley, Washington Realtor president. “She has also been keenly aware of the state of the housing market and its importance to our economic recovery.”

With the Realtors’ endorsement comes the financial support of the RPAC, the state’s largest political action committee, with as many as 10,000 annual contributors. RPAC endorses Democrats and Republicans who share the organization’s concerns for the housing industry, home buyers, and homeownership in Washington state. In 2008, Realtors invested more than $750,000 to support political races around the state; about 93 percent of Realtor-endorsed candidates were elected to office.

Oh man, that’s gotta sting, doesn’t it, when the folks who know you best endorse your opponent? Kinda like David Irons losing the endorsement of his own mother.

# 2: Think of it this way: real estate agents are primarily concerned about the state of the economy, and whether it is being managed well. If the economy is bad, they starve. If it’s good, they are living large.

This endorsement is a huge vote in favor of the Democrats continuing to be in charge of managing the nation’s economic affairs. That’s not much of a surprise, considering the disaster which the Republicans made of the economy when they were in charge.

It is kind of telling that they are willing to endorse Murray without even knowing who would be her opposition. Which tells me that in their eyes, Murray is better than ANY candidate the Republicans could conceivably field against her.

@4: What kinds of things will Murray be doing for the industry (vs voters) to maintain their support? Has the moving of RE to the center of our economy been the best thing for the country? Does the fact that wall street firms and banks wholly own the Ds and Rs as a subsidirary of global management mean anything? What I am pointing out is that the RE industry backing Murray, as you have pointed out, only reflects on their desire for a managed outcome. That doesn’t make her any more ethical from the point of view from the average working stiff. A “good economy” doesn’t translate into jobs or better wages, just ask anybody amidst the current claims of a “recovery”. RE backing another horse merely reflects the backing of an able manager– but to whose benefit?

tpn @ 5: I understand your suspicions, but I also suspect that the timing of this announcement should allay some of them.

If Murray were in a tight race with a challenger, and the election date were near, any significant endorser could attach a number of conditions to their endorsement. But right now Murray’s got a huge fundraising advantage, polls show her 11 points ahead of the only potential opponant of any significance known to date, and there’s still eight months to go before the next election. At this point, there’s little reason for Murray to promise them anything that she wasn’t inclined to do anyway – either they are going to support her, the likely winner, or throw their money and prestige away on a likely loser.

It’s quite likely that the Research 2000 poll results did Rossi in – they saw that there wasn’t going to be any benefit in playing for time, and they might as well jump on the bandwagon before it’s completely full.

Did you ever think that Senators and Representatives should be paid by their respective states? After all, that’s what these geeks are elected to do – represent their states. Why are they federal employees? Why should they be on the federal payroll?

What kinds of things will Murray be doing for the industry (vs voters) to maintain their support?

Are you implying without any shred of evidence that there is a quid pro quo? Heck, if they want to support her, what is she supposed to do about it? One gracefully and gratefully accepts the support, uses it against one’s opponent if one must, and otherwise go about one’s business.

They are her legitimate constituents too, just as much as any “woking stiff.” But if you think she doesn’t look out for working stiffs, you haven’t been paying attention.

@12: Nice straw man argument. The argument is in fact that there is an expectation from the RE industry leaders that she will deliver, if she is to expect continued support. No conspiracy, just how humans behave. I’m sure her complicity in supporting policies relating to deregulation of the banking industry, and neo liberal globalization initiatives, along with Clinton’s “New Economy” have something to do with working stiffs getting the shaft now and in the recent past. I know, I’m not supposed to remember anything from before Bush II took office.

@ 12: Nice try on the straw man argument. I am implying that the RE industry have expectations that Murray will perform to their standards, if she is to receive continued support; that’s human nature.

Murray was a backer of policies that contunue to ruin the economic well being of working stiffs– people you seem to dismiss by your use of the term in quotes; just look at her past support of neo-liberal policies like the WTO, banking deregulation, and Clinton’s New Economy policies, which undelies the current economic mess. Or, are we not supposed to actually remember her record pre-Bush II?

@13: I’d love to have Inslee for Senator, but I’m hoping he’ll be running for Governor in ’12 and Maria is about to be our hero on financial reform. I mean that seriously, she’s got good stuff in the works.

@13 My aren’t we so pure and unsullied. I suppose there is one in every crowd, but I’m so goddamn sick of purity trolls. The perfect is always the enemy of the good enough. No matter how good a job somebody does there is always some way they are a “sell out” in your mind.

Realize that with the possible exception of 12 or so other Senators you aren’t going to do much better than Murray.

But no she’s a sell out because she goes to bat for Boeing and she votes in favor of Washington’s trade interests.

@15 I’ve really got no problem with Murray at all. Jay might be a little better on some issues, but at this point I’d rather Washington not lose her seniority. Though both of Washington’s senators may end up with committee chairmanships after the next shuffle. Sen. Murray is also a rising star in the Senate leadership and may very well move up on that side as well either to #3 or whip.

I agree with you on Cantwell and financial regulation. Maria’s been a bulldog on this since early in her first term with the Enron mess.

Me too. Very frustrating. And some of these idiots are just as stupid and ill informed as the Tea Klux Klan.

If purity mattered, Kucinich (Nader, Paul…) would be president.

I pointed out once to some airheads at a function on Bainbridge doing the “if only Nader…” bullshit that PoS Nader said the only difference between Bush and Gore was the length of time it took to hear the thud when they dropped to their knees to suck corporate cock. And we all know how that turned out. That shut ’em up.

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